Los Angeles, Calif. (June 25, 2011) – Celebrity guests and art collectors gathered tonight at Bonhams and Butterfields auction house for Art Project Los Angeles -- the second annual, star-studded, art auction and gala event benefiting AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA). Guests bid on artworks during live and silent auctions, ultimately raising more than $300,000 to benefit APLA programs for people living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County, as well as efforts to stop new infections in the region.

"We're delighted to benefit from an art event of such exceptional caliber," said APLA Executive Director Craig E. Thompson during remarks at the gala."The burdens of a sagging economy have weighed heavily on our clients, who rely more than ever on APLA's most basic services," he added. "Funds raised tonight will give help to those in our community who need it most. I’m thrilled to see so much enthusiasm and support behind the fight to end AIDS."

Guests entered a maze of artworks that filled the space, suspended from the ceiling and draped on movable walls. A hum of conversation, eclectic sounds, and music from a live DJ hovered throughout the auction house as VIP guests enjoyed an exclusive VIP cocktail party with drinks and food in this fantastically decorated space in Bonham’s and Butterfields -- one of the oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques.

Auction paddles went up, and the bidding wars began at 8:00 p.m. The live auction -- created by Hamilton-Selway Fine Art Gallery -- included works by artists Picasso, Andy Warhol, Julian Schnabel, Keith Haring, Robert Longo, David Hockney, and many more. Among the most exclusive items up for auction were guitars autographed by musicians -- including Alex Band (formerly of "The Calling"), Anjulie, Melissa Etheridge, Jennifer Lopez, and Orianthi, as well as an exclusive dinner with Jackie Collins and Pauley Perrette.

Victors of this evening’s bidding wars will gather at the auction venue tomorrow morning to enjoy breakfast and to pick up their art.

ABOUT BONHAMS & BUTTERFIELDS Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further five throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Boston in the USA; Toronto, Canada; and France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Dubai. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas. By the end of 2009, Bonhams had become UK market leaders in ten key specialist collecting areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com.

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AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) was founded in 1983 and is one of the largest nonprofit HIV/AIDS service organizations in the United States. APLA provides bilingual support to more than 6,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County annually and leadership on HIV/AIDS-related policy and legislation. Additionally, APLA conducts behavioral research designed to inform the development of evidence-based interventions and assists health departments in evaluating their HIV/AIDS services to ensure the delivery of effective and quality programs. APLA also provides administrative and fiscal support to the Global Forum on Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSMGF), which promotes and advocates for the health and human rights of MSM internationally. APLA is proud to be a community-based, volunteer-supported organization with local, national, and global reach. For more information, please visit apla.org.

APLA Health & Wellness (APLAHW) provides primary medical and oral health care, behavioral health services, HIV testing, PrEP counseling and management of eligible clients, STD screening/treatment, and health education and HIV-prevention services, with a specific focus on low-income gay and bisexual men of color and transgender individuals living in Los Angeles County. APLAHW is a federally qualified health center that includes: the Gleicher / Chen Health Center in South Los Angeles; the Wilshire Dental Clinic downtown; Behavioral Health Services at the David Geffen Center in Mid-City; as well as a mobile dental facility. The S. Mark Taper Foundation Dental Clinic in South Los Angeles is also part of APLAHW. APLAHW serves more than 8,000 people each year. For more information, please visit aplahw.org.